In the evolution of online business, various companies have been at the forefront to offer the sales service through digital platforms and Facebook is no exception. Through its marketplace, the social network seeks to bring products of different interest to all users,
As in any business, there is a strategy to attract more customers to the merchandise and generate successful sales. The Facebook marketplace has more and more functional options for your products.
Although today there are many ecommerce platforms to use in conjunction with Facebook, in this article we have the information that will be useful for you to start your sales on the right foot.
Contents
Show
What is the Facebook Marketplace?
The Facebook Marketplace engages users through different business products or even individuals in order to offer an opportunity to sell that merchandise. In the integrated section, both in the mobile application and on the desktop, you will find articles of all kinds.
Facebook describes this section as a service for users to publish the amount of inventory they have for free; These can be new or reconditioned. This second category is the one most used by users who want to earn an income with products that no longer seem useful to them, but that can be used by someone else.
How does the Facebook Marketplace work?
When a user wants to enter the market tab, they will find suggestions that the same Facebook algorithm believes may be of interest to them. It is based on the pages the user follows, “likes” page posts, or comments they make. The marketplace options will expand according to the searches they make within the digital market.
The Facebook marketplace offers a huge number of items to buy. It categorizes them according to their closeness to the user. At first glance it positions those products that are in your locality about 200 km away. Later he will put all kinds of sales that are related to his interests and some more that could attract him. Within the same section, the user can see paid advertising to enhance the service, product or vacancy.
If you have a Facebook page and what you are looking for is to expand your market in the market section, the process is different to offer the merchandise because the platform does not have an option enabled for this sector. However, when browsing within the market you can find advertising, which is useful to bring the services of your page closer.
To access this space, it is necessary to have the Facebook Ads section to create a traffic campaign. In this section you will have to upload the ad and decide the budget and the days you want to keep the advertisement. Ideally, you should target your audience and avoid the automatic option in order to attract your potential audience.
After allocating the budget and the period that you will implement the campaign, in the Locations section you must enable the option for the ad to be seen in the marketplace. It can also be extended to various Facebook networks such as Instagram or Messenger. This publication will be able to attract users to your direct page to purchase the product or service you offer (later you will see in-depth tips).
Facebook Marketplace restrictions
Although the Facebook marketplace is very flexible, it has also stipulated a series of rules that sellers must follow regarding the prohibition and restriction of the items to be traded. For example, there are products that can promote a bad image for the company or expose a negative message.
Similarly, Facebook does not allow the sale of live animals, livestock, pets or products that are made of fur or fur of domestic animals, in danger of extinction or in threat. In this area, only trade in items such as transport cages, toys, necklaces, beds, clothing or certified food is allowed.
Another article to avoid are those that promote the transmission of unauthorized digital content; as well as those that are an obstruction to the regular operation of electronic devices. Among the products that should not be offered are the sale of devices that can facilitate access to private information, devices that allow listening to telephone calls or those that can decipher codes such as account numbers.
If you want to know the full list of restrictions that the Facebook marketplace has, check their commerce policies.
Is the Facebook Marketplace free?
Yes! This is one of the great advantages of the Facebook marketplace, as it is a section in which users can buy and sell for free. Although it does not have the best organization or segmentation, the business mode is quite simple: the user looks for a product or service that he needs, sees the series of options that the platform offers, chooses the one that best suits his possibilities, contact the seller, make arrangements for payment, and agree on a date and mode of delivery.
One aspect that you should take into account is that your buyers cannot make payments directly from the platform. Therefore, it is better that you have an account where buyers can transfer the payment of your product to you.
{tocify} $title={Table of Contents}
How to activate the Facebook Marketplace? If it does not appear in your device
- Update the Facebook application.
- Activate the marketplace from a computer.
- Clear the cache of the Facebook application.
1. Update the Facebook application
Maybe you do not have the market tab active in your application on Facebook, but making the change has no complications. All you have to do is update your application. To do so, go to the App Store or Play Store, find the app, and click update. If the option does not appear, it may be due to your operating system, which has to be 4.0 or higher.
2. Activate the marketplace from a computer
If the application is already updated and you have an efficient operating system, you will have to open Facebook in its desktop version to activate the marketplace tab. This is very simple: just enter from your computer, search the marketplace, access and that’s it.
How to activate the Facebook marketplace: access
3. Clear the cache of the Facebook application
If the problem persists, go to your phone’s settings, find your storage, find Facebook, and click clear cache. In this way, some data within the application that could be preventing its update will be erased.
These are the ways that exist to activate the Facebook marketplace. Now you are ready to start your business. Here are some good practices to sell within the platform that will help you take that first step effectively.
How to sell on the Facebook Marketplace
1. Create a new post
Once you have entered the Facebook marketplace, the first thing you will have to do is create a publication of what you want to sell. The application will ask you to select the type of sale you will make: articles, vehicles, properties for sale or rent, jobs. Choose the one that is closest to the publication you will make.
2. Add a photo of your product
When entering the preference section, the platform will ask you to add a main photograph of what you want to sell. You have up to nine more spaces to attach images in order to observe the object. Use different angles to fully display the product you want to sell.
This first part is often overlooked by sellers, but it is crucial. As in any other type of ecommerce, it is recommended that your images have high quality and good lighting so that your product can be appreciated. Don’t downplay the visual aspect: the more you take care of this detail, the more likely you are to attract the attention of potential customers.
3. Choose the category of your product
In this section you can choose if the sale is clothing and accessories, items for babies and children, electronics, entertainment and cultural or sports hobbies, home or garden products and a section called “Miscellaneous” where items for pets are included. Choose the one that is closest to the type of product you want to trade.
4. Determine the status of your product
Once you have chosen the category of your product, you will have to determine what state it is in. The options that the Facebook marketplace offers you are: “New”, “Used-Like new”, “Used-Good condition”, “Used-Acceptable”. Remember to be as honest as possible to avoid complaints or misunderstandings with your potential buyers.
5. Specify the general details of your product
In these boxes you will only have to specify the price of your product, the brand and the size: small, medium or large. If necessary, you can give more exact dimensions so that the user is well informed when requesting reports or closing a deal. If you don’t really know what the measurements or weight of your product are, don’t worry, as this box is optional.
6. Add your location
As we already mentioned, the Facebook marketplace allows you to sell products up to a range of 200 kilometers from your location. Therefore, make sure that the postal information you enter is suitable for the type of audience you want to attract. Facebook automatically detects your location, so you won’t have many options to change. To add your location, you just have to enter the option to view your location on the map.
These boxes are optional, but they are an excellent space to provide more details about your product. For example, if it has bumps, if it requires repairs, if parts are missing or if it is in impeccable condition. You can also add some relevant tags to your product to make it easier for the search engine to find it.
In this same section, do not forget to indicate the availability of your product. The options offered by the Facebook marketplace are: “Publish as a single article”, in case you only have one product for sale; or “Publish as available”, which assumes that you have more than one product for sale.
In case you are willing to include the shipment you can also inform it. Otherwise, just disable the option. Another great function that Facebook incorporated into its platform is for you to receive advice and specialized help to buy or sell.
8. Publish your product for sale
Finally, just make sure all the data is correct and publish your product. If in the privacy settings you select the option to hide from friends, all other people will be able to see it, but not those that you have added to your personal account. However, if you choose this, you will only be able to publish your item for sale within the Facebook marketplace, but not in the groups to which you belong.
With marketplace you can send scheduled messages to those who are interested in your articles. You can indicate that when opening your product, the user sends a direct message to ask about its availability. It also allows automated responses to confirm or give more information to the potential customer.
Ready. That’s how easy you can start selling your products or services on the Facebook marketplace.
8 tips to sell better on the Facebook Marketplace
According to market research company GlobalWebIndex, people typically spend up to four hours a day on social media. It is a place where a large number of users are looking for items that they want to buy quickly.
Therefore, achieving greater retention on the articles and making sales with an optimized seller profile will be beneficial for the seller, who will be better positioned within Facebook and will achieve more success.
We know that it can be a challenge to make your product stand out among those that are part of the Facebook marketplace network; However, based on the information previously provided, we want to give you some good practices to sell your products and make them more attractive than those of your competition.
1. Add high quality images
As we already mentioned, the first and most important thing is to upload high quality images where the merchandise is appreciated in detail. It is known that Facebook lowers the quality of photographs or adjusts them to the format established by the programmers, so that an image with high resolution and good lighting will be able to be seen adequately, despite the modifications.
If one explores the various items that are sold on the Facebook marketplace, it is common to find some errors in the quality of images. One of them is the orientation of the photographs. Some raise them horizontally, vertically or even inverted. This, without a doubt, gives a bad image of your business and does not allow users to properly appreciate your products.
Although there is no ideal weight for the Facebook marketplace, we recommend that your photos be smaller than 600 pixels and have a square format. Some other features that Influencer Marketing Hub recommends include the following:
- 1200 x 628 size
- Image aspect without link from 9:16 to 16: 9 and with link of 1.91: 1
- Images containing no more than 20% text.
- Recommended formats are .jpg or .png
- 30 character maximum image description
There are products that, due to their dimensions, require images in a vertical format. For this it is advisable to upload all the photographs in that sense. However, an image can be included at a considerable distance for that. When retouching, the merchandise is in the center and can be seen in the miniature.
If what you offer is not a product but a service (classes, workshops, courses), it is best to use image editors that conform to a square format where striking features can be added, such as attractive colors, typography attached to your identity and the your brand logo. Avoid excess text so that the user is not saturated with information and loses interest in seeing what you offer.
2. Apply the best SEO practices
Positioning your product in the Facebook marketplace is not an easy task. However, SEO strategies for e-commerce platforms can also be effective. Some that you can apply to make your product more relevant are:
Product title
Research which are the terms most used by users to search for products similar to yours. There are keyword search tools that can help you with this step; Two of the most used are Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends, which have the advantage of being free.
Similarly, there are three effective formulas that can help you to highlight your product or service:
- Product Type + Brand + Gender = Calvin Klein Women’s Coat
- Product type + brand + color = Black Huawei Smartphone
- Product Type + Brand + Feature = MacBook Pro MacOs High Sierra Laptop
Try the different combinations and determine which ones give you the best results. Remember that positioning is not something that is achieved overnight, it requires time, research and patience to achieve the best practice adapted to your product or service.
Description that informs and impacts
Don’t skimp on the value of a product description on the Facebook marketplace. Just as the title is important, this element helps to improve the visibility of your product or service in the search engine. Therefore, it tries to give a good touch of personality while inspiring confidence and providing security to the user.
Consider that the product description on this platform is brief but valuable. Similarly, to achieve descriptions that attract users, do not forget these guidelines:
- Research who your potential buyers might be. In this way you will know with what tone to address and what qualities of your product are those that interest them the most.
- Provides important information such as size, value, ingredients, or components.
- Be close to your potential client through brief tips within your description. Make recommendations for the use of the product so that the user gets the most out of it.
In this section it will also be necessary to include the keywords that you have previously discovered. Even, Shopify recommends that to improve SEO optimization in an online store the four main places to put your keyword are:
- Page Titles
- Meta descriptions
- ALT tags
- Page body content
Take into account that in the Facebook marketplace you do not have much space to spread your information. For example, make sure that the title of your publication does not exceed 50 characters so that it is not incomplete.
3. Consider using paid ads
If, in addition to SEO optimization, you want to be seen by more users more quickly, you can make use of scheduled publications. The good news is that in the case of the Facebook marketplace, achieving a broader reach requires a much smaller budget than those publications in the feed.
Some of the advantages of paid ads on the Facebook marketplace are:
- Show your ad automatically in the entire family of Facebook applications such as Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network.
- Appear both in the marketplace and in the Facebook news section.
- Generate a conversion rate 8 times higher.
Your ad scheduled on the marketplace will appear in the form of Advertising in a special section and users will be able to see it as they navigate the platform. It appears like this:
If you want to make a small investment to display your product, creating an advertisement in the marketplace is your best option.
4. Provide all the information requested by Facebook
In the last section we share the points that the Facebook marketplace requests to start selling. It is important that all of them are covered so that buyers have the necessary information to purchase a product of yours. Make it clear if you have flexibility in delivery points, if you charge the shipping price, etc.
Another very important point that you should not overlook under any circumstances is your location. The Facebook marketplace makes use of geomarketing: it performs an audience analysis using location characteristics. That is, order the products on your list according to your proximity to the potential customer.
5. Include the prices of your products
As surprising as it may seem, there are still many businesses that prefer not to talk openly about the prices of their products. This is undoubtedly a bad strategy, as it adds one more step to the consumer on their purchase journey. The more you facilitate their experience, the faster they will make their decision.
Plus, this is a great way to segment your leads. Only those that can be adjusted to the amount you request for your product will request reports. Otherwise, the list of messages to reply will be longer and not as effective as you would like.
6. Avoid saying that your product is “free”, when it is not true
Surely you have come across some publications in the marketplace that appears as follows:
You have to be honest: who would give something for free in a marketplace? This action is quite common and you should not apply it. Like not stating a price, putting the word “free” in your post will only create confusion and mistrust. Also, being clear up front will save you from having your mailbox full of people asking the same thing.
7. Make a profile according to your products for sale
If what you are looking for is to have a profile only to be used in the digital market, the most convenient thing is that your profile image and cover generate trust and are relevant in your field. Remember that as soon as a user sees your product and wants to know more about you, the first thing they will do is visit your full profile.
So try to have the images of your articles organized, add all the necessary information about them or about your business, as well as real images of your products. A good idea is to take photos of your products that your current customers are using. This is an effective way to make your post visitors feel safe.
8. Do not publish the same article more than once
Some users of the Facebook marketplace think that repeatedly publishing the same product is the best way for people to see it. And while this can work, it is also detrimental to your profile, since the platform’s algorithm will detect it as spam and could decide that your products have less reach. If you still continue to do so, it will simply block your profile.
If your goal is to offer the same product, it is best to create a new publication in which you include different images, another title and description so that the algorithm does not detect your advertising as massive and invasive.
Now you have everything you need to make your sales on the Facebook marketplace a success. As we already mentioned, online sales take time, but you have the enormous advantage of having a greater opening of users who can see your product. Just make sure you segment and get to know your customer as much as possible, as this will target those who have the best chance of buying from you.
